Speaking after the Customs Department signed memorandums of understanding with online sales platforms to cooperate in supervising and suppressing the importation of illegal goods or those failing to meet legal standards, Phantong Loykulnanta, director-general of the department, said this cooperation should reduce the availability of subpar products.
The focus is on goods that lack standards certifications, such as from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute or Food and Drug Administration, as well as prohibited goods such as e-cigarettes, on items from online platforms, reports the Bangkok Post.
“I believe searches for imported products without standards certification, or prohibited goods on online platforms, will become more difficult. For example, searching for the keyword ‘e-cigarettes’ may no longer yield results, unless sellers use alternative keywords," Mr Phantong said.
There are 23 agencies in Thailand authorised to issue product certifications in various categories, including industrial standards and food and drug standards.
Effective from Jan 1, 2026, imported goods with a low value (de minimis value) priced from as little as B1 are subject to import duties and value-added tax (VAT).
He said in fiscal 2025, which just ended, there were 160 million imported low-value items (worth less than B1,500), with roughly 90% sold via online platforms.
The collection of taxes on de minimis goods starting next year is expected to generate an additional B3 billion in annual revenue for the department. Import duty rates vary by product category. For example, clothing and footwear is subject to a 30% import duty, while bags are taxed at 20%.
Regarding whether the new tax collection would increase the burden on consumers, Mr Phantong said it depends on the platform.
Some platforms may pass the tax on by incorporating it into product prices, while others may choose to absorb the tax.
He said the additional tax burden must be weighed against the need to ensure fair competition, as previously such imported goods were not subject to taxes, whereas domestic operators have long been required to bear local tax obligations.
“The collection of taxes on low-value imported goods is about creating a new system that ensures fairer competition for Thai small businesses,” said Mr Phantong.
Thamakorn Supathanarangsri, vice-president and head of government affairs at Lazada, said the company is not concerned about the tax and believes it will not affect online sales volumes. As for pricing, he said it depends on promotional strategies adopted by individual merchants.